A Biblical and Holiness Perspective on Strong Drink

Here's a work in progress that I started in Colombia in 2013. Maybe later the dangers of drinking can be covered.  

Should I as a Christian Drink Wine or Strong Drink?  What Does the Bible Say?  What Do We Holiness People Believe?  Why? May the Holy Spirit of God help you find answers to your questions here.


First notice what God says in Holy Scripture. For the reader, I listed in no particular order just some of Bible verses on this subject:

And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,   Deuteronomy 14:26

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.                                Judges 13:3-5

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;  Ephesians 5:18 

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.            1 Corinthians 6:9-10

His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.        Isaiah 56:10-12

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!                    Isaiah 5:11

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.   Proverbs 20:1 

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.         Proverbs 31:4-6

Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;             Leviticus 10:9-10

Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:                Isaiah 5:2

Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!    Habakkuk 2:15

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.    Isaiah 28:7

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;   Titus 1:7-8

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.   Luke 1:15

Convincing evidence has been given that in the Bible times, fermented wine was used as a means to sanitize water. Just enough alcoholic wine was mixed with water to kill organisms which might cause stomach problems such as dysentery or parasites, but it was not enough alcohol to cause drunkenness. This resultant mixture would be called wine also. This would be similar to us adding chlorine or iodine to our water today. This by some is believed to be what Paul is referring to when He recommends that Timothy drink a little wine for his stomach’s sake. Timothy could have experienced chronic cramps or diarrhea caused by drinking unsanitary water. This still happens to missionaries today on some mission fields, due to bad water. This advice to Timothy also applies to other Christians as well. “Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre.” (1 Tim. 3:8)


To say that whenever the Jews drank wine or strong drink in the Old Testament, they were drinking this purified water, I cannot. I believe that God overlooked several things that the Jews did in the Old Testament of which the New Testament Christian ought not stoop to do, due to our higher spiritual standard of living though grace and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

But the wine then wasn't nearly as alcoholic then as it is now.  Vic Reasoner stated in his commentary on Romans, “Until recent times the yeast used in making fermented beverages died off quickly at relatively low levels of alcohol – probably about 4%. Thus, the alcoholic content was low. Today wine has about 12% alcohol content. In addition, the wine was diluted with water in the ancient world. Only the uncivilized drank their wine unmixed.” [p. 554] This addition purified what might have otherwise been unhealthful water.  Once diluted, it would have been nearly impossible to drink enough to make one drunk.


The following is from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia regarding “strong drink,”
“Its immoderate use is strongly condemned (Isaiah 5:11, Isaiah 5:12; Proverbs 20:1; see DRUNKENNESS).  It was forbidden to ministering priests (Leviticus 10:9), and to Nazarites (Numbers 6:3; Judges 13:4, Judges 13:7, Judges 13:14; compare Luke 1:15), but was used in the sacrificial meal as drink offering (Numbers 28:7). It is commended to the weak and perishing as a means of deadening their pain; but not to princes, lest it might lead them to pervert justice (Proverbs 31:4-7).”


Proverbs 31 mentions that King Limuel’s mother told him that wine was only for the perishing or those with a heavy heart. Regarding this Adam Clarke said, “Inebriating drinks were mercifully given to condemned criminals, to render them less sensible of the torture they endured in dying. This is what was offered to our Lord; but he refused it.” “Of heavy heart” in the Hebrew means “bitter of soul” according to the Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge. Today we have drugs, tranquilizers, anesthetic, and many other medicines to alleviate those who are dying or in agony or pain. In ancient days wine served this purpose. And as wine or strong drink can be abused in this purpose, today many abuse drugs likewise.


In Jeremiah 35 God gave us a powerful illustration of the blessings which come from very careful living. The Rachabites were commanded by their ancestor Jonadab son of Rachab genarations earlier to drink no wine them nor their sons forever. God tested them by having His prophet Jeremiah set wine before them and tell them to drink. They refused to drink. God pronounced judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem who later perished or were scattered due to not heeding His commands.   But God commended the Rachabites for their carefulness in listening and obeying.  Furthermore God pronounced a blessing upon them by proclaiming, “thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.” Oh, as for me and my house with all our future generations, let us fear God and obey Him in this and in the very smallest of God's precepts!

Points to Ponder:

• God says that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God. I want to stay as far away from the line of getting drunk as possible. I will not drink to be “cheered” by a strong drink; the Lord is my joy.              
• God says that those who are deceived by wine are “not wise.” I want to be as wise as possible. I will stay as far away from intoxicating drinks as possible. I won’t even put it to my lips.
• God says that it is not for kings. It is my hope to sit with Christ on His throne someday. And even now through prayer and obedience I must exercise dominion and subdue the earth for the glory of God.
• God says that it is not for ministering priests nor Nazarites. A Nazarite was a Jew who professed extraordinary purity of life and devotion. As a holy Christian, I am not only a New Testament priest before God, but I am a special priest before God and a modern day Nazarite – one separated unto God. I am one of the holy people, the careful, the earnest, the revivalists, a possessor of Perfect love, and I desire to be the most like the church of Pentecost. I am filled with the Spirit and I minister to others in the Spirit. 
• God says that it is not for princes. We Christians are the sons of God; we are princes in the noblest sense of the word.
• We are not to do anything that could cause someone to fall. If were to yield to a sip of wine others would lower their resistance too. I want NOT ONE person to drink strong drink and fall.

It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.   Romans 14:21 

And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.    1 Corinthians 8:11-13

And I will drink NO intoxicating wine or intoxicating drinks while the world standeth.


Some would say, “But what if you were offered such during communion. I have been offered such during communion, and I have quietly asked if it was alcoholic wine, and when affirmed such, I politely said in a kind and none judgmental attitude, “No thank you, this is no judgment against you all, but I cannot drink alcoholic beverages. Please don’t worry about me, I am okay.” Those who say that this will offend the brother, are wrong. This will not cause a brother to loose his soul. Yea, it might save a brother or cause a brother to live more carefully due to a courageous stand and a blameless testimony of his fellow brother.


Another might say, “What if you are offered such at a wedding, will you offend them by refusing to drink?” I have been served such at a wedding, and I have politely refused. But know that even among the world’s etiquette, it is completely proper to not taste the wine. If offered wine, you may politely say, “No, thank you.” And if there is already wine at your place setting you do not have to drink it. Those who do not drink, but feel that they must toast to the couple’s well being, may raise their glass in the air to health, long life, et cetera, and then set the glass back down at its place without drinking.


I repeat, I will drink NO intoxicating wine or strong drink while the world standeth, for…

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.       Romans 15:1

Please follow my example in this. And in doing so you might have the honor of restoring a fallen brother as mentioned in James.

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.    James 5:19-20

Lovingly,
Phillip Dave Dickinson

On Humility and Pride, by John Fletcher

 Minister John William Fletcher

There is no evil disposition of the heart, with which the clergy are so frequently reproached, as pride. And it is with reason that we oppose this sinful temper, especially when it appears in pastors, since it is so entirely contrary to the spirit of the Gospel, that the Apostle Paul emphatically terms it, "The condemnation of the devil," 1 Timothy 3:6.

There is no amiable disposition which our Lord more strongly recommended to his followers, than lowliness of mind. From his birth to his death, he gave himself a striking example of the most profound humility, joined to the most ardent charity. After having washed the feet of his first disciples, that is, after he had taken the place of a slave at their feet, he addressed them as follows:-"Know ye what I have done unto you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord; neither he that is sent, greater than he that sent him," John 13:12-16. Again he says to the same effect, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister: and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister," Mark 10:42; 2:45.

Real Christianity is the school of humble charity, in which every true minister can say, with Christ, according to his growth in grace, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls." And unhappy will it be for those who, reversing Christianity, say, by their example, which is more striking, than all their discourses, "Learn of us to be fierce and revengeful, at the expense of peace both at home and abroad." They who receive the stipends of ministers, while they are thus endeavouring to subvert the religion they profess to support, render themselves guilty, not only of hypocrisy, but of a species of sacrilege.

It is supposed that St. Peter had the pre-eminence among the apostles, at least by his age: it is certain that he spake in the name of the other apostles, that he first confessed Christ in two public orations; that our Lord conferred favours upon him; that he was permitted to be one of the three witnesses of his Master's transfiguration and agony; and that on the day of pentecost he proved the power of his apostolic commission, by introducing three thousand souls at once into the kingdom of Christ. Far, however, from arrogating, upon these accounts, a spiritual supremacy over his brethren, he assumed no other title but that which was given in common to all his fellow labourers in the ministry: "The elders which are among you," says he, "I exhort, who am also an elder: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind: neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock," 1 Peter 5:1, 3. A piece of advice this, which is too much neglected by those prelates who distinguish themselves from their brethren, yet more by an anti-christian pride, than by those ecclesiastical dignities to which they have made their way by the intrigues of ambition.

Continue reading here.

I've found that there's little online information on John William Fletcher (later changed from "de la Flechere").  So I've gathered some links that I've found here.
http://www.victorshepherd.on.ca/Heritage/Fletcher.htm
http://christianheritagefellowship.com/john-william-fletcher-on-prayer/
http://www.goforthall.org/articles/jf_bio.html
http://www.theopedia.com/John_Fletcher

One more quote (on predestination extremes) by John Fletcher:

"The error of rigid Calvinists centers in the denial of that evangelical liberty, whereby all men, under various dispensations of grace, may without necessity choose life...And the error of rigid Arminians consists in not paying a cheerful homage to redeeming grace, for all the liberty and power which we have to choose life, and to work righteousness since the fall...To avoid these two extremes, we need only follow the Scripture-doctrine of free-will restored and assisted by free-grace."
John Fletcher, "On Predestination", Checks to Antinomianism (New York: J. Collard, 1837), pp. 333-334.

Minister, Let Me Tell You A Secret (To Lasting Results)

Photo Credit: http://davidbrennen.com/jeremiah-177-8/

Pastors, missionaries, and ministers, (and those who might be involved in ministry someday,) I'm going to let you in on a secret. May God open your spiritual eyes to receive what I tell you here.

Pray big.
Plan big.
Don't manipulate in order to bring fulfillment to your petitions to God; this limits God.
Expect future blessings.

Let me explain. But first, this assumes that you have been sanctified wholly. That's foundational. You must fear God greatly. Live circumspectly. And walk humbly in Christian perfection. Perfect love, cleansing from all inbred sin, and a baptism of the Holy Spirit make up this Christian perfection.

Pray Big:
Learn to spend much time with God. Ask Him for big things for His glory. Be an Enoch and walk with God. Be a Noah, perfect in his generations, and listen to God so that He can tell you His secrets for your generation. Be a Daniel and purpose to not only not defile yourself with even the smallest negligence, but also to never miss your appointment with prayer to God. Those who fast and pray raise up the foundations of many generations. Think of Nehemiah. Pray much, stand on the promises, and the passing of years will reveal that you will have become a modern day Nehemiah. God right now searches this earth for people through whom to show Himself mighty.

Plan Big:
Prayer, much prayer, will bring unheard of blessings, fruit, and power to your ministry. And with time faith will result – faith that isn't affected by circumstances which seem otherwise. Earnestly beg God to show you what He wants you to pray for. Then realize that he wants to do a thousand times greater. Over the next years do God's will in the great and small while asking God for what He has showed you. Expect God to enlarge your vision and petitions as you continue to pray and work for this. With time you might just simply ask God to work out His will through you, for your faith may grow so great that you will know that you can't even dream up all God wants to do as you humbly stay on your face before Him. Pray enough and God will send others to help you pray and bring this to pass.

Don't just hope to maintain. Faith calls for so much more. God wants to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. What are the hard cases? Ask God for these souls. Ask God for pastors and missionaries and churches to result from your labors. Ask God to give you your city, your state, your country, or your world. If your eschatology limits your prayer, reexamine your position. You should be praying, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.”

Meanwhile, work with who God tells you to work. Put faithful men and women to work. Plan for succession. Mentor the younger generation. Start giving work to those who seek God.

Start making plans for missionaries to go out from you someday. Don't send them away to a para-church organization, that's for those who don't have a local church. You and your church raised them up; YOU send them. Ask God you help you and your church serve them as they go out into the whitened harvest field. The missionaries whom God raises up under you need to be accountable to their local church. Become a sending church.

Ask God to show you how you are going to put future preachers and pastors to work. Plan to mentor, prepare, teach, and train them. You, your local church should teach them. You don't have to send them off to an “expert” in who-knows-where who questions some of the very foundations in which you believe, whose teachings may undermine what your church stands for. The local church is to equip her own ministers. Para-church higher education is for those whom God has called to such, it's an exception. But the rule is that the local church is serve her own ministers and vice versa.

Plan to raise up laborers in the way your church believes. Not only do our church's pastors mentor those coming up with a call, but also her ministers have a reading course. This includes the themes of prayer, revival, holiness, doctrine, church history, reliable resources, and more. This writer has his own children reading key books to prepare them and to teach them what they should know. Youth can be challenged in the above themes as well as biographies of spiritual giants, holy manhood and womanhood, parenting, marriage and home, chastity, and holy living. But remember much more is caught than taught. What you do shouts so loudly that people can't hear what you say. But if your walk matches your passionate talk, you are a powerful teacher.

Regarding training the next generation. Laying a proper foundation will eventually result in spiritual youth. Loving, devouring, living in, walking according to the Bible is a firm foundation.  Both the mentor mentored must delight in God's law.  And invest much in prayer. Walk in holiness before God. Minister Christ, truth, and love to all ages. Raise up children in Christ. Take time for the youth. The Holy Spirit is working on them too. Know that they will be youth (and need to grow in maturity) but also expect them to be spiritual. Spend extra time with those to whom God directs you and to those you feel has a call. Talk to them line upon line, precept upon precept. Pray with them, love them, help equip them, and start using them. Have patience and lovingly help them with their errors. Enable them become faithful in little so that God can make them faithful in much. Role model the ministry for younger spiritual ones, give them a chance to practice ministry and then with much prayer gently offer counsel for their shortcomings in ministry. Teach them all you know and then as the Holy Spirit teaches them, they can far surpass you.

Regarding Manipulation:
Some say, “But where am I going to get the resources for such big plans” Here lies the danger. You must guard against supposed shortcuts. Much prayer, patience, work, and time is needed here. Grass grows up overnight and dies in summer heat, but for an oak tree to mature it needs years as well sun, winds, and rains that God decides to send it. Do you want God to raise up a mighty and fruitful work? Then work with God's time and with what resources He sends you through prayer. Some look to speed up things up by recruitment campaigns, trophy figureheads, soliciting, debt, impression management, fake-it-til-you-make-it attitudes, glitz and bling and power-tie bigness, plastic smile optimism, by pleasing the carnal, endorsement seeking, partnerships with the world, secular alliances, and church growth fads.

God can use any of this to build His kingdom and He has. But God has a better way. Abraham had enough faith to let Lot choose the best, for he had received God's promise and knew that no matter what others did, God would give him the promise in God's time. And he by patient pursuance in God's will inherited God's promises. You also can pray until you know that God will work though your obedient life, without you having to resort to pulling strings.

About pleasing the carnal, it's like trying to build a church on sand. Many pastors yield to the temptation to use people with sins in their life in order to encourage them to keep coming to church. So people who are worldly in their dress, music styles, or ministry philosophy are used to lead in the service or music, to teach children, and even to participate in decision making. At times they are given office in the church, rather the ministry of the church appointing the spiritual ones as is best.  Attitudes, faithfulness, and direction are important indicators of usefulness.  Are they Christlike, unchanging, and moving in the direction of God's will according to the Bible? These people are useful, even though they still might have blind spots in their life.

Many churches are grasping for straws to keep unspiritual young people from leaving. So they cater to the worldly tastes of the youths in hopes to keep them around. The atmosphere becomes reminiscent of a pop concert rather than humble worship, Godly fear, holy delight, and willful submission to God.

The church can't compete with the world. This grieves the Spirit of God pushes away the spiritual people – both indispensably a part of the church. Trendiness becomes a desirable characteristic in the leadership. This minister often tries to make his messages palatable for the worldly in the congregation. Messages become laced with jokes and shallow stories and on "feel good, you're amazing" themes.

This is like raising children on candy and hoping for health and growth. The pure milk and solid meat of the Word will work miracles. In time the hungry will flock from afar to be fed the riches of the preached full Gospel. Sinners will be converted and believers sanctified and edified, because lifting up Christ will build His church.

About recruitment campaigns, trophy figureheads, soliciting, impression management, and glitz and bling and power-tie bigness, the Apostle Paul didn't want to build on the foundations of others and he disregarded the wisdom of this world. Through constant prayer, suffering, work, and preaching he became known as the Apostle to the Gentile church.

Constant prayer -- there it is again -- rather than manipulation and gimmicks.  Barren Hannah carried her burden to God in prayer, and it was God brought a national revival through her son of which King David was just one of its many fruits. George Muller chose not to tell anyone of His needs, nor go into debt, but wait on God in prayer to build His work. And Muller housed and fed thousands of children for decades as well as established scores of schools which taught Christ to tens of thousands of children many of whom were orphans.

Future Blessings:
Look what God did through these common people. Once you decide to submit to God like this, you will find blessings and growth much beyond human ability. You will see supernatural results. And what you build up is not going to pass away when you do. Rather growth and blessings will continue mounting up.

John Wesley said, "Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth."  Today we still have not yet seen all the fruit of that revival; it lives on and continues to grow. A revivalist once told young D. L. Moody, “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him.” And God spoke that directly to Moody's heart. Today even though Moody has passed on from this world, he continues to speak and bear fruit.

Today also, God is looking for anyone with a perfect heart who depends wholly on God to stand in the gap. Like Enoch, Noah, Daniel, Nehemiah, the Apostle Paul, Hannah, Muller, Wesley, and Moody, a mighty work will be raised up by God under their feet. And the fruit of which will continue to grow and live on throughout eternity. 
                                   -pdd

Happy Mother's Day, Ladies of my life.

Sweet Heather at 5 months along.

I can honestly say that I profoundly thank God for giving me the mother, mother-in-law, and wife that He has given me.

About my own mom, I cannot think of another mom (as well as mother-in-law or wife) that I would rather have.  And I know that God in His wisdom and love gave me a mother who would best make me want to be a real man, love a woman, have a family and home, try to get them and others to heaven, and love and know God though Jesus Christ in prayer and through obedience to His Word.  Thank you, Mother.

Thank you,  Mother-In-Law, for raising up a most marvelous daughter.  God says that wisdom is justified of her children.  I didn't know you until I after I met Heather.  But obviously due to the fruit I see in your life today and in Heather, Heather had a wise and loving mother.

For Heather loves God, loves me, loves her family, loves her children, loves the lost, loves the church, loves being a housewife and a minister's wife, and she just loves people in general.  And she loves with an abundance, sincerity, and joy that only God can give.

Thank you, Heather, for blessing me by being my wife.  I'd choose you all over again.  I am many-fold more the man I am, because of having you as my wife.  Your children (in our household and around the world) and I rise up and call you blessed.
                                               
                                             - Phillip

Once While Praying In A Garden

Once while praying in a garden alone amidst the green                                                          
Of trees and shrubs competing for their glory to be seen.
Flowers too were growing; their rich colors charmed the eye.
And their beauty was admired by each happy passer-by.
And their beauty was admired by each happy passer-by.

When I left the path to enter a certain lonely, shady space
I saw with joyful wonder such a blossom in that place.
No sunlight nor admir'rs smiled upon the bloom I saw
Thriving hidden in the thicket with a glory rarely seen.
Thriving hidden in the thicket with a glory rarely seen.

God only saw her offering -- bright, delicate, and sweet --
And beasts such as hummingbirds and the straying worker bees.
God chose to plant her there, with sweet nectar, in His plan;
Lost, lowly beasts are refreshed, but they do not understand.
Lost, lowly beasts are refreshed, but they do not understand.

I'm entranced by the God proved worthy of the sacred praise
Of unseen, short lived, posies thriving gayly by His grace.
(And in time God will bend low with pleasure in His face
To pick His fragrant treasures to beautify His place.
To pick His fragrant treasures to beautify His place.)

Lord, I want to be Your flower in the lonely place You choose,
Love and serve You without measure, though hid from public views,
And wanderers may be revived, But always may I raise
Off'rings alone for You, my God, of service, love, and praise.
Off'rings alone for You, my God, of service, love, and praise.
                                                                               -pdd

(The flower I saw was a lone Bird Of Paradise bloom hidden away in the foliage by God somewhere in Argentina. But I caught a view of the otherwise undiscovered delight.)

Jews and Chinese

I've found it interesting that...

There are similarities between the Jews and the Chinese.  Notice just two:  

1. Ancient written Hebrew was a pictorial language; although also phonetic, the letters came from images.  Chinese is a pictorial language.  Their words come from images.  Both languages are ancient and have many ancient seeds of truth.  For instance...

Hebrew word picture

Chinese word picture

2. Both the Jews and the Chinese use a calendar based on the moon and it's cycles.  Whereas Westerners use a sun based calendar.  

Chinese history on this is sparse and there are varying opinions, but some historians and even some genetic mapping present some evidence that many of the Chinese' ancestors seem to have descended from Noah's son Shem, just as did the Jews.  But go one more generation back and we ALL have the same grandpa Noah.  What a godly heritage we have!
                                -Phillip

Yield up the Love Of Life for the sake of the Life Of Love. Mrs. Cowman

"I even reckon all things as pure loss because of the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."  Philippians 3:8  (Weymouth)

Shining is always costly. Light comes only at the cost of that which produces it. An unlit candle does no shining. Burning must come before shining. We cannot be of great use to others without cost to ourselves. Burning suggests suffering. We shrink from pain.

 

We are apt to feel that we are doing the greatest good in the world when we are strong, and able for active duty, and when the heart and hands are full of kindly service.

 

When we are called aside and can only suffer; when we are sick; when we are consumed with pain; when all our activities have been dropped, we feel that we are no longer of use, that we are not doing anything.

 

But, if we are patient and submissive, it is almost certain that we are a greater blessing to the world in our time of suffering and pain than we were in the days when we thought we were doing the most of our work. We are burning now, and shining because we are burning.  —Evening Thoughts

 

“The glory of tomorrow is rooted in the drudgery of today.”

 

Many want the glory without the cross, the shining without the burning, but crucifixion comes before coronation.

 

Have you heard the tale of the aloe plant,

Away in the sunny clime?

By humble growth of a hundred years

It reaches its blooming time;

And then a wondrous bud at its crown

Breaks into a thousand flowers;

This floral queen, in its blooming seen,

Is the pride of the tropical bowers,

But the plant to the flower is sacrifice,

For it blooms but once, and it dies.

 

Have you further heard of the aloe plant,

That grows in the sunny clime;

How every one of its thousand flowers,

As they drop in the blooming time,

Is an infant plant that fastens its roots

In the place where it falls on the ground,

And as fast as they drop from the dying stem,

Grow lively and lovely around?

By dying, it liveth a thousand-fold

In the young that spring from the death of the old.

 

Have you heard the tale of the pelican,

The Arabs’ Gimel el Bahr,

That lives in the African solitudes,

Where the birds that live lonely are?

Have you heard how it loves its tender young,

And cares and toils for their good,

It brings them water from mountain far,

And fishes the seas for their food.

In famine it feeds them—what love can devise!

The blood of its bosom—and, feeding them, dies.

 

Have you heard this tale—the best of them all—

The tale of the Holy and True,

He dies, but His life, in untold souls

Lives on in the world anew;

His seed prevails, and is filling the earth,

As the stars fill the sky above.

He taught us to yield up the love of life,

For the sake of the life of love.

His death is our life, His loss is our gain;

The joy for the tear, the peace for the pain.  —Selected

From April 26, Streams In The Desert, by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

Interchurch Holiness Convention

We are HAPPY to get to watch the Interchurch Holiness Convention via internet.  Imagine.  Missionaries in Buenos Aires, Argentina, getting to virtually attend a holiness convention in Dayton, Ohio, USA!

You may listen in here.  I hope you join us.  

*If the live streaming doesn't work, try again after a bit; they may be between services.*

You may view the preaching schedule here.

Please pray with us for God to be glorified at IHC and in all of us listening.

Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness.  
Psalm 29:2b 

Yes, Jesus Rose From Dead After 3 Days AND 3 Nights.

Hallelujah!  Jesus is ALIVE! 

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  - Jesus in Matthew 12:40

Someday people will catch on.  I was slow; it took me several years to figure this out.
.
I have never doubted the resurrection of Christ.  Nor the infallibility of the Bible, God's Holy Word.

But for years I have scratched my head and tried to figure this "and three nights" matter out.  Because I just assumed that that Jesus was crucified on Friday and rose again on Sunday.  I could get three partial days out of this, but three NIGHTS out of a Friday crucifixion / Sunday resurrection was impossible.  So I settled it with, "I must not understand all the facts yet."

Because Jesus doesn't lie.  And we know that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday, the first day of the week.  (Just read your Bible.)  So somehow scholars have gotten confused about on which day Jesus was crucified.  (Again, just read your Bible; Friday isn't mentioned.)

Now, the day before the sabbath IS mentioned.  But people have forgotten that there not only is a Saturday Jewish sabbath, but ALSO a sabbath that falls in the middle of the week at certain times.

Simply put, in AD 32 on Thursday through sunset was the first day of the Passover, the 14th day of the Jewish month Nisan.  On this day the Passover lamb was slain all across Israel.  The following day Friday was a special Jewish sabbath, also called a "high day" as mentioned in John 19:31. Jesus being crucified and then dying by sunset and then buried directly thereafter would place Him in the grave for three days AND three nights too, just as Jesus said.  Jesus, our passover lamb, then rose from the dead on the first day of the week.

Hallelujah!  He arose, and now we can have Abundant Everlasting Life through Christ!  This means you can be saved from sin and punishment, my dear friend.  Surrender you're life to God; cry out to Him for help. God will hear you and have mercy on you and abundantly forgive you and give you a new life in Christ!  You cannot overestimate the power of the blood of Jesus.  Through Jesus you can be freed from ANY sin which binds you!

The Berean Call, founded by Dave Hunt, the author of The Seduction of Christianity among other books, published this article.  I quote it below, for it explains the Jewish sabbath following Christ's crucifixion, which places Christ in the tomb for not only three days but also three nights just as Jesus promised.

Question: Recently I was presented some information defending the traditional Friday crucifixion.... “The day of preparation” (Lk 23:54) could only refer to Friday before the Sabbath since no work of any kind could be done on the Sabbath... [which was known as] “the High Sabbath.” To us three days and three nights generally means 72 hours, but...this could mean any part of the first day, all of the second day, and any part of the third day. In several passages (the majority) it is said Jesus would rise “on the third day.” If the resurrection occurred after a full 72 hours (three days) it would have been on the fourth day. The Jews put guards to make the grave “secure until the third day” (Mt 27:64) not until the fourth day. Please respond.

Response: There are several errors in the points you make in defense of a Friday crucifixion. First of all, you deal with the days and not the nights. The problem is with the three nights, not with the three days . A Friday crucifixion would give three days (one full day and part of two others), but not three nights as required. Next, you say that the only “preparation” was for the regular Friday/Saturday sabbath. Not so. In fact, we are told specifically that it was not in preparation for the regular sabbath, but “It was the preparation of the passover ” (John 19:14). That means that the passover lambs were being slain. That was the “evening” of Nisan 14. They would be cleaned and roasted with fire and eaten that night after sunset, beginning Nisan 15.

Third, you call the regular Friday/Saturday sabbath “the High Sabbath.” In fact, the regular weekly sabbath was never called a “high day.” The language in John 19:31 (“For that sabbath day was an high day”) clearly distinguishes this special sabbath from the regular weekly sabbaths. Nisan 15 began the seven-day feast of unleavened bread. Its first day was a sabbath with a “holy convocation” and “no manner of work shall be done...” (Ex 12:16). The passover was the most important of all the feasts, so obviously this was the “high” sabbath to which John refers.

Only once every seven years would the “high” sabbath coincide with the regular Saturday sabbath. In A.D. 32 the first day of unleavened bread, the night when the passover lamb was eaten, occurred on Thursday. Nisan 14 ended at sunset Thursday, and this fits perfectly with Christ riding into Jerusalem on the donkey the previous Sunday, which would have been Nisan 10 when the lambs were taken out of the flock and kept under observation for four days. It is thus no coincidence that Christ, God’s perfect Passover Lamb, presented Himself to Israel on Nisan 10. The tenth being on a Sunday (“Palm Sunday”), the fourteenth, when the passover lambs were being slain all over Israel, fell on Thursday—and that is when “Christ our passover” (1 Corinthians 5:7) was nailed to the cross and slain by “the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel” as foretold (Exodus 12:6).

This special sabbath went from Thursday sunset to Friday sunset; the regular sabbath from Friday sunset until Saturday sunset, so the women could not get to the grave until Sunday morning.

You seem to assume that a Thursday crucifixion would mean Christ would have been in the grave 72 hours. No, the 72 hours and a full three days would not have ended until nearly sunset Sunday. So just as you explain was needful, Christ rose “on the third day” if He rose Sunday morning . But He was three nights in the grave as well as three days, which was absolutely necessary (Jonah 1:17, Matthew 12:40).  

For more fascinating reading on this go here.          

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16 KJV) 

Happy Resurrection Sunday!!!!  Thanks Be To God For His Unspeakable Gift!!!  
            - Phillip                

Keep Praying For Colombia

Perhaps not a day goes by in which I do not feel gratefulness to God for our co-workers in Colombia.  We consider it a privilege to try to serve them as best as God enables us.

I've also learned a painful part of missionary work.  We already knew that we would miss our family, church, and loved ones in the USA when we were away from them.  But now that we are working more than one field, we are finding ourselves missing our national brothers also when away from them.

Jimmy and Farly Ramirez and daughters Nataly and Gabriela

Please continue to help us pray for God's servants in Colombia.  As you are doing in the USA, they are doing there in Colombia.  You are praying.  I know that our own Christian Nation Church is holding a special prayer meeting for Revival and for I.H.C.  And they meet weekly for fervent prayer.  I know that the prayer warriors of Rope Holders are praying.  I know that Shelbyville Bible Holiness Church, meets monthly to pray especially for their missionaries.  And I know that many, many of you are praying, daily, earnestly too.  Praise The Lord!  And I know that our dear Colombian brothers are praying much too.  This Friday is an all night prayer meeting in one of the churches.  And special prayer meetings like this are regular occurrences there too.

Rigoberto Burgos (& wife Ilse) in Cartegena

You have regularly prayed for the Colombians time after time and you still do.  They also regularly pray for you, for your churches, for the entire sanctification of believers, and for revival too.  Isn't it wonderful to be on the same team and on a growing team -- God's team!

Alberto Osorio (& wife Alba) in Medellin

We in the USA are burdened for our unsaved acquaintances and pray much for them.  The Colombians pray for lost souls there too.  You are praying for Argentina; they pray for Argentina.  You pray for us.  They pray for us.

You are giving sacrificially and we pass that on to the harvest fields.  The mission field hasn't made it to the same level of financial maturity yet to be able to give to foreign missions.  But I expect that with time God will prosper them to do so as they continue to tithe and pray.  But they love to give in other ways and they offer the sacrifice of much prayer and fasting as you do too.

Let's continue to pray for these pastors, their faithful wives, their families, and their congregations.  They and their families face battles and trials as do all Christian leaders, but they have few holiness people around for encouragement like so many of us do.

Jimmy Ramirez (& wife Farly) in Bogota

Thank you so much, dear Colombian Christian Nation Church!  God has done so much for you.
And thank you so much, dear Holiness Church in the United States and elsewhere.  God has given you a rich heritage and has set the special seal of His glory upon you.  Let's ask for, attempt more, and expect more from God!                    
                                                              -pdd                  

The Ministry of the Unnoticed, by Oswald Chambers

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Matthew 5:3

The New Testament notices things which from our standards do not seem to count. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” literally – Blessed are the paupers – an exceedingly commonplace thing!

The phrase we hear so often, Decide for Christ, is an emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him – a very different thing.

At the basis of Jesus Christ's Kingdom is the unaffected loveliness of the commonplace. The thing I am blessed in is my poverty. If I know I have no strength of will, no nobility of disposition, then Jesus says – Blessed are you, because it is through this poverty that I enter His Kingdom. I cannot enter His Kingdom as a good man or woman, I can only enter it as a complete pauper.

The True character of the loveliness that tells for God is always unconscious. Conscious influence is priggish and un-Christian. If I say – I wonder if I am of any use – I instantly lose the bloom of the touch of the Lord. “He that believeth in me, out of him shall flow rivers of living water.” If I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.

Which are the people who have influenced us most? Not the ones who thought they did, but those who had not the remotest notion that they were influencing us. In the Christian life the implicit is never conscious, if it is conscious it ceases to have this unaffected loveliness which is the characteristic of the touch of Jesus.

 We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.

                                                                           - by Oswald Chambers

Multiply: The Thrice Repeated Command

Home Sweet Home.  After Walter Dendy Sadler [Public domain]

A commandment uttered by God is important, 
even if mentioned only once.  

Do not eat of the tree in the midst of the garden.  
Thou shalt not print any marks on your flesh.

Would not a commandment repeated again by God show greater importance if possible? 

For instance... And God sanctified the day He ended His work, and blessed it, and rested from all His work.  (Genesis 2)   Then later to His people He reminded them of this law already in effect when He said, “REMEMBER, the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.” “Don't forget what I have already told you. Remember, this law which had already been given long before Moses' law and which is so easily forgotten.” 

God rested on the eighth day of creation, and Jesus rose on the eighth day of the week as well. Eight symbolizes a new beginning.  Jesus Christ adjusted the day from the Jewish seventh back to the original eighth or "first day of the week."


So with this repeated law for about two millenia now, Christians all over the world have ceased from work, refused to participate in commerce and all common business, and have rested and worshiped on the Christian Sabbath, the Lords Day. 

The more earnestly Christians delight in this moral law, the more God blesses them. (See Isaiah 58:11-14 and Psalm 112:1-2 below.) Only recently with the God predicted apostasy sweeping over the earth is much of the church world making excuses to disregard this perpetual moral law.


Now think about this.  God repeated another commandment THREE times in various forms in just the first nine chapters of the Bible. 

“Be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.” (Genesis 9:7. Also 1:28 and 9:1)


Our un-Godly society today is opposing this with a demonic fervor.   The lies spew forth. 

You are overpopulating the world. Too many people harm the earth. You can't afford to have children. It's harmful for a woman to have babies. Children hinder a successful career. 

The world is overpopulated? According to whom? God called for an abundance of people on the earth. 

Humans harm the earth? Many people on the earth do not harm it; SIN wrecks havoc upon creation. God reminds us of this over and over in His Word. 

Children are expensive?  Good things do come at a cost.  But you cannot afford NOT to have children, when God pleases to open the womb. They are a heritage of the Lord. And when God sends into a home which fears Him little mouths to feed, He will send the food needed to feed them. 

Babies harm women?  Birthing a child and raising children are intense labors, but studies show that mothers of multiple children have lower incidences of several health problems and cancers. 

Wreck a successful career?  Children might hamper certain careers, but they do not hinder success. Wise, long-term planning parents know that sons and daughters wisely trained and aided by God can do much more than a career to perpetuate a legacy if God so allows.

Those who believe such lies are sadly ignorant.  Satan hates children.  He loves for people to believe lies like this.  Because God loves all children.  Jesus blood was shed to save every one of them.


Satan loves to cause many obstacles to obedience of God's commands. Persevering obedience in spite of seeming impossibilities proves our faith and willingness to obey God. 

Having children can seem a fearful responsibility, but God wants to cast out fear.


God uses more than highway and byway evangelism to fill the earth with His kingdom. God's kingdom comes also by filling homes with children to be dedicated to Him. 

God's Word and the onward march of history shows that with time the seed of the wicked are cut off from the face of the earth. God also tells us that he multiplies the seed of the righteous. The wicked fading away and the righteous replenishing the earth has a regenerating, blessing effect on the earth.

Satan has come to kill and destroy. Is it no wonder he hates holy, happy homes filled with the play and laughter of little children. 

But God delights in this sweet smelling offering for Him. Especially when Papa and Momma lay everything aside to follow God, to pray for the conversion of their offspring, and to teach these children the ways of God.  

Back when God gave the thrice repeated commandment to be fruitful and multiply, He envisioned blessings sweeping over the earth through this.   
                                                      -Phillip Dickinson

(Isaiah 58:11-14)
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

(Psalm 112:1-2)

Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

~More pics from Sunday...and more about Phillip's youth service.~

~Aunt Yoli normally plays the piano at the Chinese church, but she and U. Charlie are gone for a little while visiting some family.
So before she left she gave me the hymns that she would like for me to play on the piano for the church services while she was gone.
It was little nerve wracking for me....since the service was all in Chinese...I was afraid I wouldn't know when we were going to sing the hymn, or when they were going to take the offering and sing that hymn, etc.  But Jesus helped me.  =)
(There is a hallway behind the glass door where the piano is up front, so Kimberly snuck and took this picture of me at the piano through the door. =) ~

~Then after lunch the young people had their service where Phillip was graciously invited to speak.  Our friend Leo stood behind Kimberly translating for her.~

~THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PRAYING!
God really helped Phillip as he spoke and our new friend Oso as he translated into Manderin!  =) ~

~Phillip spoke on living pure lives BEFORE AND AFTER MARRIAGE!
God gave Phillip the illustration or object lesson of using 2 matching coffee cups: One was Clean inside and the other was VERY DIRTY!!!
He then had a glass pitcher sort of representing the Holy Spirit.
He asked for a volunteer to come up to give them a drink of water.  From where we were sitting one couldn't tell the difference between the 2 coffee cups...but for some reason the volunteer who came up front...our friend Caro chose the CLEAN CUP!  =) ~

~Phillip talked about the Holy Spirit (the pitcher of water) wanting to FILL each one of us, but we have to be CLEAN inside before He can fill us.  ~

~We need to let Jesus clean us on the inside...and then the Holy Spirit wants to come in and fill us...so that we in turn can be a blessing to others.
No one would want a drink of water out of a DIRTY cup...but, oh the BLESSING it is to have a drink of water out of a CLEAN cup to quench one's thirst.
May each of us be the clean "cups" or temples that Jesus needs to use to touch other lives for HIM!!!~

~The young people were attentive listeners.~

~While we were in the youth service, Sarah was helping a group of people work on a bulletin board about the Resurrection story.~

Our family feels so blessed to be able to attend the Chinese church and it is our desire to help in any small way we can.
 

Our Chinese Friends

Thank you for praying for us, during the youth service.  God helped me speak as well as my friend who translated.  There was a good turn out.  Here is a picture of a bunch of us afterwards.  -pdd